John knous and albert e



(No Model.)

' J. KNOUS & A. B WALLACE.

, BICYCLE FORK.

N0. 312,732. V Patented Feb, 24, 1886.

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' STATES UNITE PATENT JOHN KN OUS AND ALBERT E. \VALLAOE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AS- SIGNORS TO THE POPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-FORK.

SPECIPICATIOIT forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,732, dated February 24-, 1885.

Application filed January 22, i885. (No model.)

To all whom, it may conccrm.

Be it known that we, JOHN KNOUS and ALBERT E. WALLA on, both of Hartford, Connecticut,have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicyr les, of which the following is a specification.

Our improvements relate more particularly to bicycles of metallic construction, and to that part of the frame of them known as the IO rear fork and the nature of ourinvention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings, in which- I Figure 1 shows in rear elevation, and Fig. 2

in side elevation, a bicycle rear fork. embodying our invention in one form.

Heretofore rear forks of'bicycles of metallic construction, .or that part of the frame which, extending from the backbone or perch, connccts the latter with the rear or small wheel, have been made either by forgingthe head or bifurcated stub for connection with the rear end of the perch, and two forks for connecting this head with the rear wheel-pin or aXleone to be on eitherside of the wheeland weldingthese forks or extensions to the head; or else by making the rear fork in two pieces one for each side of the wheel; or in two or more pieces, with one or two for each side of the wheel, connected with it at the wheel-pin or axle and bolted or riveted to the perch; or by stamping out of sheet metal, or otherwise constructing a thin semi-tubular metal with two arms or forks-one for each side of the 3 5 wheel-and having at their lower end additional pieces brazed on to form the lugs for the rear axles, and connecting above in the head or rounded shoulder with a slot in the center, and having another piece of metal to 0 form a stub or tenon for the rear end of the perch inserted in said slot, and brazed or otherwise fastened to the said head to form secure connection of the perch.

Our improved fork is constructed through- 5 out of one homogeneous piece of metal without weldings or brazings, and without excess of metal in any portion, by striking up from sheet metal or in any other approved manner known to the art in such proportions and distribution as to be stiff and strong and of a'po propriate size and shape, and of extreme lightness.

A A are the arms or branches of the fork, preferably larger at the upper end,where they form the arches E'one for either side of the rear wheelthe rim and tire of which revolve under the arches E. These arms A A are preferably also made of curved cross section for strength and rigidity, and smaller at the lower end and with a curve backward, as ata, 6 for beauty or grace of structure.

B is the part of the fork forming the head, preferably of cylindrical form,with a rounded shoulder, b.

O is the part forming a stud or tenon, by 6 means of which the rear fork is to be attached to the perch, and is preferably made with a small rectangular shoulder, c, of about the thickness of the tube of the perch to be .used.

D D are the parts of the fork forming the -7( lugs for the axle of the rear wheel,which may be inserted in the slots (1..

We preferably make our improved fork 0 sheet-steel or of tube, or it may be made of malleable iron,-or of any other metal, as desired.

\Ve also have an improved and novel process of making this improved rear fork, which we do not describe or claim in this application, as we have set it forth in another application for patent thereon.

XVe claim as new and of ourinvention- An improved bicycle rear fork in one integral piece of metal, having a substantially cylindrical shoulder, from which branch two 8 5 arms formed into lugs at their free ends for the wheel pin, and having a substantially cylindrical tenon forthe perch, essentially as set forth.

J N O. KNOUS. ALBERT E. \VALLACE. Witnesses:

A. J. WELLEs, I. J. Posr. 

